Fulling mill



June 13, 1939. R L D W ON 2,162,003

FULLING MILL Filed March 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 13, 1939. R, L, DAWSON FULLING MILL Filed March 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8. Dawson NIrNE $5 Patented June13, 1939 W 2,162,003

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FULLING MILL Robert L. Dawson, Piqua, Ohio, assignor to The Orr-Felt & Blanket Company, Piqua, Ohio Application March 25, 1938, Serial No. 198,143

11 Claims. (Cl. 26-21) The invention relates to fulling mills used in In the drawings above briefly described, a preshrinking fabrics and it relates primarily to the ferred construction has been illustrated, and while so-called crimp boxes of such mills. The matethis construction will be rather specifically derial being fulled, after being treated with a soap scribed, it is to be understood that variations may solution or in any other desired Way, is pushed be made within the scope of the invention as 5..

by two suitable rollers through the crimp box, the claimed. top of which is held yieldably depressed upon the The fulling mill casing 5 and its frame-work material by weights and levers or in other appro- 6 may be of conventional construction, one side priate ways, thereby causing the desired crimping of said casing being provided with the usual load- 10 of the goods. The effect of the crimp box on the ing doors 1 and 8, the latter of which gives ac- 10 goods is dependent to a large extent on the width cess to the crimp box 9 when opened. At the of said box, the results being non-uniform and unfront end of this crimp box, the usual upper and satisfactory if the box be either too narrow or too lower rollers I ii and l l are shown for pushing the wide. t is one of the objects of my invention material through the box, the upper roller being to provide a crimp box which may be readily held yieldably toward the lower roller, for exam- 15l varied in width, and in one embodiment of the ple, by mounting it upon bell cranks such as l2 invention, one side of the box may be adjusted and connecting hydraulic or other suitable means toward or from the other side while the mill is l3 with said bell cranks. Conventional materialin operation. The advantages of an adjustable guiding means are indicated at M and IS in front side to vary the width of the box applies parof the rollers l0 and II. The numbers l1, I8, 90 ticularly to papermakers felts which are woven I9, 2i 2! and 22 denote conventional means for in various widths to fit all types of papermaking depressing the top 23 of the fulling box 9 to exert machines. The advantages also apply to piecedesired pressure upon the material being fulled. goods where a mill might change its production The bottom 25 of the fulling or crimp box 9 25 from light weight 8 oz. broadcloth; to heavy is rigidly secured to brackets 26 fastened to one 25 weight oz. overcoating. As above indicated, of the side walls 2'! of the casing 5. The two maximum fulling and felting are obtained when vertical side walls of the box are denoted at 28 the cloth, as it runs through the crimp box, fills and 29 respectively. The wall 29 is hingedly supthe box rather full, and by means of my invention, port-ed at 3B in a conventional way to allow out- 30 the operator may quickly and easily vary the ward swinging of said wall when the door 8 is 30 width of the box according to the width of the opened, permitting easy threading of the matefelt or cloth or the volume going through the rial through the box. In the present showing, box, in order to insure the most eflicient operation the hinges 39 connect the wall 29 with two brackof the mill. ets 3| secured to suitable portions of the frame In carrying out the above end, a further aim is 6. Brace arms 32 are shown secured to the wall 35 to make novel provision whereby the action tak- 29 at one end, and at their other ends cooperable ing place within the crimp box may be readily with suitable latches 33 carried by the brackets observed, permitting adjustment until the best 3! for normally holding said wall 29 in operative result is obtained. position, release of said latches, however, allowing With the foregoing in view, the invention reoutward swinging of said wall when required. 40 sidesin the novel subject matter hereinafter de- Any suitable means is provided for holding the scribed and claimed, description being accomlower edge of the wall 29 and the bottom 25 in plished by reference to the accompanying drawtight engagement with each other, cam levers 34 ings. being shown for this purpose.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly broken away, The edges of the side wall 28 are preferably 45 showing a portion of a fulling mill embodying the flanged as shown at 35, and the lowermost of present invention. these flanges rests slidably upon the box bottom Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view 25 to allow adjustment of said wall 28 toward and on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. from the wall 29. In the present disclosure, a

3 is a fragmentary view similar to a porhorizontal screw 36 is connected with and pro- 5 tion of Fig. 2 but showing the crimp box adjusted jects laterally outward from the wall 28, said screw toanarrower width and provided with a narrower being guided by a fixed bracket 31 secured to top. the frame 6 at the outer side of the wall 21. The

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view on bracket 3'! also serves to rotatably and stationarily line 4-4 of Fig. 2. mount a hand wheel 38, the hub 39 of which is 55 inward or outward adjustment of the wall 28, as may be desired. A suitable locking wheel 40 may be threaded on the screw to lock said screw 7 and the wheel 38 against relative rotation after the desired adjustment has been obtained.

The screw 36 may be connected in any preferred manner with the wall 28. For illustrative purposes, a channel bar 4| is shown extending vertically between the flanges 35 and secured to the wall, said channel bar having an opening 42 through which the inner end of the screw 36' passes, collars 44 being secured'on said screw at the inner and outer sides of said channel bar. The screw may either be held against rotation or may'bepermitted to rotate by the connecting means between said screw and the wall 28, but

if said screw be permitted to rotate by this connection, it will be necessary to provide the outer end of said screw with a knob or wheel 45 to be held in one hand while loosening the locking wheel 40 or rotating the hand wheel 38 with the other hand. j

The box top 23 is .pivotally and detachably mounted on a bolt 46 by means of which it is connected with a bracket 41, said bracket being secured to the side 21 of the casing 5. A number of tops will be furnished of different widths,

and after adjusting the side wall-28 into the desired spaced relation with the side wall 29, a top of proper width will be mounted on the bolt 46.

I contemplate the use of some appropriate transparent material such as plastacele, Celluloid or shatter-proof glass, in such manner as to permit viewing of the actual conditions within the crimp box 24. For illustrative purposes, I have shown a transparent panel 48 in the side wall 29, but that entire wall or theentire box may be made of such transparent material. By looking. through this panel with the door Bopen, the elfect of the crimping box upon the material may be readily observed, and the box may be ad justed until the best results are obtained.

From the foregoing, taken in connection'with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made 'for carrying out the 'objectsof the invention, and

while preferred features have been disclosed, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed, the present disclosure being illustrative ratherthan limiting.

I claim:

1.. In a fulling machine having a casing and materialpushing means therein; a crimp box in said casing through which the material is pushed by said pushing means, said crimp box having vertical side walls mounted for relative adjustment toward and from each other. and means extending. from said crimp box to the exterior of said casing for relatively adjusting said side walls 7 according to the width of the material to be fulled and for holding said walls in fixed relation after adjustment.

2. In a fulling machine having a casing, and material pushing means therein; a crimp box in said casing through which the material is pushed by said pushing means, said crimp box having two vertical side walls one of which is capable of adjustment toward and from the other, and means connected with said one side wall and extending to the exterior of the casing for adjusting said one side wall inwardly or outwardly according to the width of the material to be fulled and for holding said one side wall in fixed relation with said other side Wall after adjustment.

3. In a fulling machine having a casing and material pushing means therein; a crimp box in said casing through which the material is pushed by said pushing means, said crimp box having two vertical side walls one of which is capable of adjustmenttoward and from the other, a bracket secured to the exterior of the casing. at the side thereof adjacent said adjustable side wall, a hand wheel rotatably mounted on said bracket, and a screw operatively engaged with said hand wheel and said adjustable side wall to adjust the latter inwardly or outwardly and to hold it in fixed position after adjustment.

4. In a fulling machine having a casing and 1 material pushing means therein; a crimp box in said'casing through which the material is pushed by said pushing means, said crimp-box comprising a bottom fixedly mounted in said casing, two vertical crimp box side walls in cooperative relation with said bottom,-one of said side walls resting slidably on said bottom for adjustment toward and from the other of said side walls, the latter being hingedly mounted for outward swinging to facilitate threading of the material through the machine, and a depressible crimp box top between said side walls; and means extending from said one side wall to the exterior of the casing for ad-' justing said one side wall toward and from the hinged side wall according to the width of the material to be fulled, and for fixedly holding said one side wall after adjustment.

5. A structure as specified in claim 4; together with means detachably mounting said top, allowing a top of proper width to be substituted according to the spacing into which said side walls may be relatively adjusted.

6. In a fulling mill, a casing having spaced 'vertical side walls and a loading door in one thereof, brackets securedlto the other of said Walls and projecting inwardly therefrom opposite said loading'door, a crimp box bottom secured upon said brackets, additional brackets secured to said one wall and projecting inwardly therefrom at the upper end of said loading door, a vertical crimp box side wall hinged to the latter brackets to swing outwardly when said loading dooris opened, releasable means for normally holding said crimp box side wall in fixed relation with said bottom, another vertical crimp'boxside wall resting slidably upon said bottom, means connected with this crimp box side wall and extending to the exterior of said casing for adjusting this side wall toward and from the hinged side wall according to the width of the material to be pushed through the crimp box, said means being also operative to hold said other crimp box Wall in fixed position after adjustment, another bracket secured to said other casing wall above said side walls, and a depressible crimp box'top pivoted to this bracket and extending between said side walls, said crimp box top being detachably mounted, permitting a top of another width to be substituted when the relative adjustment of the crimp box side walls is such as to necessitate such substitution. I

7. In a fulling machine having material pushing means; a crimp box through which the material is pushed by said pushing means, said crimp box having a bottom, and two vertical side walls mounted for relative adjustment toward and from each other according to the material to be fulled, at least one of said side walls resting slidably upon said bottom for adjustment transversely thereof, means whereby said side walls may be secured in fixed relation after relative adjustment, and means whereby a top suitable to the relative spacing of said side walls may be mounted for vertical movement between said side walls.

8. In a fulling machine having material pushing means; a crimp box through which the material is pushed by said pushing means, said crimp box having a bottom, a fixed vertical side wall, and a shiftable vertical side wall resting slidably upon said bottom for adjustment toward and from said fixed side wall according to the material to be fulled; means whereby said shiftable side wall may be secured after adjustment, and means whereby a top suitable to the relative spacing of said side walls may be mounted for vertical movement between said side walls.

9. In a fulling machine having a casing and material pushing means therein; a crimp box in said casing through which the material is pushed by said pushing means, said crimp box having vertical side walls mounted for relative adjustment toward and from each other, and means extending from said crimp box to the exterior of said casing for relatively adjusting the side walls according to the width of the material to be fulled. I

10. In a fulling machine having a casing and material pushing means therein; a crimp box in said casing through which the material is pushed by said pushing means, said crimp bo-x comprising a bottom fixedly mounted in said casing, two vertical crimp box side walls in cooperative relation with said bottom, one of said side walls resting slidably on said bottom for adjustment toward and from the other of said side walls, the latter being hingedly mounted for outward swinging to' facilitate threading of the material through the machine, and a depressible crimp box top between said side walls; and means for securing said one side wall in fixed relation with said hinged side wall after adjustment.

11. In a fulling machine having a casing and material pushing means therein; a crimp box in said casing through which the material is pushed by said pushing means, said crimp box comprising a bottom fixedly mounted in said casing, two vertical crimp box side walls in cooperative relation with said bottom, one of said side walls resting slidably on said bottom for adjustment toward and from the other of said side walls, the latter being hingedly mounted for outward swinging to facilitate threading of the material through the machine, and a depressible crimp box top between said side walls; and means extending from said one side wall to the exterior of the casing for adjusting said one side wall toward and from the hinged side wall according to the width of the material being fulled.

ROBERT L. DAWSON. 

